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New Development Emerges In Nancy Guthrie Ransom Note Investigation
A troubling part of a high-profile disappearance case may have taken a major turn.
The FBI has determined that ransom notes tied to the disappearance of missing mom Nancy Guthrie are not genuine, Reuters reported Wednesday, July 1, citing a source familiar with the investigation.
Guthrie, 84, is the mother of NBC "Today" co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. She vanished from her Tucson, Arizona, home on Sunday, Feb. 1.
Reuters reported that investigators determined the notes, including a third message sent later, were not linked to the people responsible for Guthrie’s disappearance.
The repor…
Feds Crack $10M Cargo Theft Operation, NJ And NY Men Among Suspects
A $10 million cargo theft ring with operations in New Jersey, New York, and across the country has been busted after three years of operation, federal investigators said Tuesday, June 30.
Two Brooklyn residents — Sevak Kocharian and Arkadiy Pastin — and one New Jersey man, Jashanpreet Singh, were among the eight people charged in the wide-ranging scheme, which stole everything from electronics to liquor to clothing, the Justice Department said. Singh was nabbed in Pennsylvania and will initially face charges there, authorities said.
Beginning in March 2023, the crew operated with a relative…
Boy, 17, Fatally Shot By Police: NY AG Now Investigating Dutchess County Incident (Update)
The New York Attorney General's Office is now investigating the fatal police-involved shooting of a 17-year-old boy in Dutchess County that happened over the weekend.
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Tuesday, June 30, that her Office of Special Investigation will look into the death of Oscar Granados Colindres, 17, on Saturday, June 27.
On the day of the shooting, during the early morning hours, New York State Police troopers, members of the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office, and the Village of Wappingers Falls Police Department responded to a report of…
Victor Willis Dies: Voice Of Village People Helped Shape Disco Era, Co-Wrote 'Y.M.C.A.'
A voice behind some of disco’s most enduring anthems is gone.
Victor Willis, 74, the original lead singer and a founding member of Village People, died Tuesday, June 30, after a short illness, the band announced.
Click here for a new, updated story: Trump Cites 'Y.M.C.A.' Revival At His Rallies In Tribute To Village People Frontman
Village People said in a Facebook post on Wednesday morning, July 1, "We are profoundly sad to announce the death of VICTOR WILLIS, lead singer of Village People."
The group said Willis died after a "short but aggressive illness" and requested privacy.
…
National Diarrhea Parasite Outbreak Hits New York Hardest: CDC
A summer illness linked to contaminated food is spreading across multiple states.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking 145 domestically acquired cases of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness caused by the Cyclospora parasite, according to the CDC’s surveillance page.
The cases were reported in 17 states among people who became sick from Friday, May 1, through Tuesday, June 16, the CDC said.
The CDC map shows New York as the most affected state in the nation. The map also shows cases in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Virginia, as well a…
Man Convicted Of Cocaine Possession, Acquitted Of Trying To Grab Agent's Gun In Dutchess
A man caught with cocaine in Dutchess County has been convicted of a drug charge — but acquitted of trying to grab an agent's gun during his arrest.
Angel Lebron, 49, was convicted of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance on Monday, June 29, the Dutchess County District Attorney's Office announced.
According to prosecutors, on Nov. 25, 2025, Lebron was caught with at least one preparation, compound, mixture, or substance containing at least one-half ounce of cocaine in the area of North Clinton Street and Thompson Street in the City of Poughkeepsie.
Lebron …
Cause Of Death Revealed For 'Lilo & Stitch,' 'The Ring' Star Daveigh Chase: Reports
The cause of death has been revealed for the child actor widely known as the psychic girl in "The Ring" and the voice of Lilo in Disney's "Lilo & Stitch," according to reports.
Daveigh Chase, 35, died from AIDS, Us Weekly reported on Monday, June 29. Chronic polysubstance use was listed as another significant condition in Los Angeles medical examiner records.
Chase died in a Los Angeles hospital on Monday, June 16, and her manner of death was listed as natural.
Her boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, previously told TMZ that Chase died after battling meningitis and an infection in her …
Repeated Rape Of Teen Relative Lands NY Jail Guard Behind Bars: DA
A New York jail guard who admitted to raping a teenage relative for years has cut a plea deal and will serve less than half a decade in prison, authorities said.
Brian Barrett, 51, pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree rape and nine counts of third-degree incest on Friday, June 26, the Schenectady County District Attorney’s office said.
Barrett, of Rotterdam, began assaulting the victim in 2017 when she was 14 years old and living in Colonie, prosecutors said. The abuse continued the following year when they moved to Rotterdam and lasted until the end of 2023, when the victim was 21, …
NY Rapist Sent Victim Pics Of Assault, Cuts Plea Deal For Prison Sentence: DA
A New York man who took photos and video of himself raping a woman and then sent the pictures to her has taken a plea deal and will serve six years in prison, authorities said.
William Smith, 24, pleaded guilty to first-degree rape at a hearing on Wednesday, June 24, the Schenectady County District Attorney’s office said.
Smith, of Schenectady, was arguing with a woman “well known to him” on the phone in February when he sent her the pictures of him raping her while she was asleep, prosecutors said. The attack occurred on Dec. 6, 2025, at a hotel in Schenectady, according to authorities.
A…
Drone Strikes JetBlue Flight At 3,000 Feet Near JFK, Pilot Says
A drone collided with a JetBlue flight landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Monday morning, June 29, according to the aircraft’s pilot.
The pilot alerted air traffic controllers at JFK of the collision around 7:15 a.m. at about 3,000 feet in the air, according to audio obtained by WABC.
“We collided with a drone back there in the turn as we were coming to ASALT, just wanted to pass to you,” the pilot said, according to WABC reporting.
“You said you collided?” the controller responded.
“Yup, it hit us, right above the cockpit,” the pilot confirmed.
However, the pilot said f…
Man Who Abducted Business Partner Outside NY Grocery Store Gets Prison Time
A California man who helped abduct his business partner in broad daylight outside a Westchester County grocery store before beating him and demanding nearly $1 million will spend years in federal prison, prosecutors said.
Lewis Li of Huntington Beach, California, 36, was sentenced Thursday, June 25, to six years in prison for the abduction and extortion of a man in Peekskill, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced.
According to prosecutors, on Jan. 28, 2025, Li and multiple co-conspirators abducted their business partner to extort ne…
$2.5M LI Medicaid Fraudster Lived Large While Families Struggled To Eat: Prosecutors
A Long Island man who pulled off $2.5 million Medicaid fraud and spent the money on luxury cars and a Nassau County mansion has been arrested, authorities said.
Nduka Lewis Ekpenyong, a 36-year-old Hewlett man, submitted more than 6,000 claims for a children’s health product, but 90% of the filings were fraudulent, New York Attorney General Letitia James said Monday, June 29.
However, Medicaid reimbursed Ekpenyong for $2,531,194, the vast majority of which Ekpenyong pocketed for his own purposes, prosecutors said.
“While Nduka Ekpenyong was buying luxury cars with money he allegedly stole …
Scammers Target Data Breach Fears: How To Stay Safe
Data breach scams are on the rise, with cybercriminals exploiting real breaches to trick victims into handing over personal information.
These scams involve fake notifications sent by email, text, or phone calls, often claiming that your data has been exposed.
Scammers use tactics like creating a sense of urgency or impersonating trusted entities, such as banks, government agencies, or credit-monitoring companies. The goal is to scare victims into clicking malicious links, providing login credentials, or even making payments for fake services.
Michael Bruemmer, head of global data-br…
Hudson Valley Man, 21, Shared Video Of Child Sexual Abuse Over Snapchat: DA
A 21-year-old Westchester County man is accused of sharing a video depicting the sexual abuse of a child over Snapchat, prosecutors announced.
Port Chester resident Christopher Mendoza, 21, was arraigned on Wednesday, June 24, on a felony complaint charging him with promoting and possessing an obscene sexual performance by a child, the Westchester County District Attorney's Office said on Friday, June 26.
According to the DA's Office, on Feb. 5, 2025, Mendoza shared a digital video of an obscene sexual performance by a child over Snapchat. This video allegedly depicted a man…
